ClRCULAH    N    I     110. 


Jul)     1' 


I  nited  Mates  Dcpartuiciit  ui  Agriculture, 


HURKAU    OP    KNTOMfll 
L.  o.  howakd,  Botomoleg 


rill.  GREEN-STRIP] 

L  O.    How  m;i.  .iii.l    I 


i    ENKKAI,    U'I'E  \i:  \\(  i      \\  l>    M 


Maple  trees  grown  in  the  United  States  for  shade  or  other  purpose 
are  subject  to  severe  injury  from  defoliation  by  caterpillars.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  fall  webworm*  and  tussock  moth  caterpillar0  there  is  a 
common  and  troublesome  Bpecies  known  as  the  green-striped  maple 
worm  {An  •  >icunda)  which  affects  maples  of  all  kinds,  including 

Bugar  maple,  and  is  especially  partial  to  silver  and  swamp  maples.  It 
feeds  occasionally  also  on  l><>\  elder  and  will  defoliate  oak  in  the 
absence  of  its  favorite  food  trees. 

In  its  active  stage  this  insect  is  a  naked  or  hairless  caterpillar  (fig.  L, 
</,  -i  of  large  Bize  and  somewhat  attractive  appearance,  being  pale 
yellowish  green,  longitudinally  Btriped  with  dark  green.  It  is  armed 
just  back  of  thf  head.  <>n  the  second  thoracic  segment,  with  a  pair  of 
long  black  boras.  It  has  also  a  number  of  Bhort,  ''lack.  Bpiny  projec- 
tions along  its  aides  and  at  it>  anal  extremity.  The  anal  segments  arc 
somewhat  dilated  and  rose-colored  on  the  Bides.  WTien  fully  grown, 
it  measures  nearly  two  inches  in  length. 

'The  parent  insect,  or  moth,  is  a  beautiful  creature  of  a  pale  yellow 
color  shaded  with  a  most  delicate  pink.  The  female  is  well  shown  in 
the  accompany  ing  illustration  (a),  the  dark  portions  representing  the 
pink,  and  the  paler  portions  the  yellow  color.  In  eastern  individuals 
the  colors  differ  from  those  found  in  the  West,  the  rose  tints  being 
more  intense,  while  in  the  western  form-  the  yellow  predominate-. 
with  only  a  slight  tinge  of  rose.  Some  western  individuals  also  are 
nearly  white     The  female  has  a  wing  spread  of  one  and  three-fourths 

to  about  two  inches,  and  her  body  is  yellow  and  woolly  in  appearance. 

Her  head  i-  -mall,  retracted  into  the  thorax,  and  bears  Bhort,  thread- 
like antenna'.  The  male  is  -mailer  than  his  male,  having  plumose  or 
feathery  antenna',  as  represented  in  the  figure  ( $ ). 

The  egg  is  about  one  millimeter  in  diameter,  slightly  flattened,  and 
pale  green,  becoming  yellowish  before  the  larva  hatches.     A  portion  of 

•merly  called  Dryfcampa  r 
t<  Hyphantria  eunea  Drp. 
<  Htmerocampa  a  [>m. 

fir.  110-    I 


an  egg  mass  is  figured  in  the  illustration  at  c,  and  a  much-enlarged  egg 
with  the  embryo  within  at  b.  The  pupa  is  very  dark  brown,  nearly 
black,  and  of  the  somewhat  peculiar  form  shown  at  f.  It  is  armed 
with  little  spines  on  the  margin  of  the  ahdominal  segments  and  on 
the  thorax,  and  the  anal  segment  ends  in  a  projection  a  little  forked  at 
the  tip. 


Fie;.  1. — Anisota  rubicimda:  a,  Female  moth  and  antenna  of  male  moth;  6,  egg  showing  embryo 
within;  c,  portion  of  egg  mass;  <i,  full-grown  larva  from  side:  i .  same  from  hark .  /.  pupa.  Enlarged. 
(Original.) 

OKIOIN    AND    DISTRIBUTION. 


The  green-striped  maple  worm  is  a  native  North  American  species 
and  is  more  abundant  in  the  West  than  in  the  East,  although  it  enjoys 
a  considerable  range.  It  abounds  ('specially  in  Kansas,  Nebraska, 
Missouri,  Illinois,  and  Iowa,  occurring  also  in  the  Gulf  States,  occa- 
sionally doing  considerable  damage  in  Mississippi.  It  extends  some- 
times in  injurious  numbers  North  and  Kast,  and  has  attracted  some 
attention  by  its  ravages  in  West  Virginia,  the  District  of  Columbia, 
New  Jersey,  and  in  a  limited  portion  of  New  York  State.  Instances 
[Clr.  no] 


:i i . ■  on  record  of  it-  occurrence  in  great  numbers  in  Dutchess  and 
Sullivan  counties  in   New    York,  bul   these  occurrences  were  excep- 

tioiiiil. 

1.1  II.     Illsl,  .|;1      A\D     II  \l'.l  PS. 

Tin'  moths  issue  from  over  w  iutering  pups  or  chrj  salides  in  May  or 
June,  according  to  locality,  and  pair,  the  females  depositing  their  ej 
on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves.     The  number  of  eggs  laid  by  a  single 

female  has  not  been  ascertained,  but  is  know  n  to  reach  at  least  L50.  In 
eight  or  ten  daj  s  the  eggs  hatch,  and  the  caterpillar  emerges  and  feeds 
and  grows  apace.  After  passing  through  four  molts  in  about  a  month 
it  reaches  full  growth,  when  it  enters  the  ground  to  transform  to  pupa. 
At  the  end  of  two  weeks,  or  a  little  longer,  the  pupa,  by  means  of 
the  sharp  and  horny  projections  which  have  already  been  described, 

works  its  way  to  the  surface  of   the  ground  and  gives  forth  the  moth. 

Boon  afterwards  the  female,  after  copulation,  lays  eggs  for  a  second 
generation. 

In  the  District  of  Columbia  it  has  been  ascertained  that  there  are 
usually  three  generations  in  the  course  of  a  year,  although  in  Missouri, 
according  to  Riley,  there  are  only  two.  Pupa?  of  the  second  genera- 
tion in  the  West  and  of  the  third  generation  in  the  East  over-winter. 
Even  as  far  north  as  Massachnssetts  Harris  showed  the  probability 
of  two  generations  annually. 

INSTANCES   «>K   INJTBT. 

Many  of  the  earlier  writers  on  economic  entomology  reported  nu- 
merous instances  of  injury  by  this  species,  but  of  late  the  insect  has 
not  received  much  attention,  presumably  because  of  the  far  greater 
destructiveness  of  the  commoner  tussock  moth  and  fall  webworm,  and 
of  the  gipsy  and  brown-tail  moth-.  Possibly  this  maple  worm  is 
decreasing  in  numbers.  Some  characteristic  outbreaks  may  be  men- 
tioned, therefore,  as  showing  its  importance  some  years  and  to  give 
some  idea  of  its  method  of  work. 

In  ls^7  Mf.  n.  \v.  Young,  Independence,  Cans.,  wrote  that  for  four 

years  the  soft  maple  shade  trees  of  that  city  had  been  defoliated  twice 

a  year  by  this  insect,  the  trees  being  greatly  weakened.  In  L888  Mr-. 
M.  T.  McCluny,  Sedalia,  Mo.,  wrote  that  these  •"worm-"'  "were  like 
the  locusts  of  Egypt,  and  filled  the  houses"  and  destroyed  the  leaves  of 
the  maple  shade  trees.  In  1889  considerable  correspondence  was  had 
with  Mr.  .1.  W.  Merchant,  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  who  reported  extensive 
defoliation  in  Kansas  City.  Kan-.,  and  sent  several  photographs,  one 
of  which  is  here  reproduced  (ti<r.  2).  Incases  where  adjoining  maple 
and  elm  trees  branched  into  each  other  the  elm  trees  were  never 
touched.      During   the  period   from  1888  to    1890,  at   Lincoln.    Nebr.. 

[Cir.  U0] 


Fig.  2.— Maple  tree  at  Kansas  City,  Kans.,  defoliated  by  green-striped  maple  worm.     (Original.) 
[Cir.  110] 


many  rows  of  large  maples  were  entirely  defoliated,  rendering  them 
\.rv  unsightly.  (See  fig.  8.)  Ai  about  the  same  time  Doctor  Riley 
reported  similar  complete  defoliation  on  the  grounds  of  the  State 
agricultural  college  at  Manhattan.  Kan-.,  and  of  the  Mate  univer- 
sdty  at  I. awn-nee.  Cans.  In  1901  Mr.  I.  K.  Brooks  reported  great 
damage  to  the  foliage  <>!'  maple  in  the  vicinity  of  French  Creek, 
\V.  \  a.  Since  L906  the  Bpecies  has  been  abundant  in  portion-:  of 
Maryland  and  Virginia,  but  not  noticeably  troublesome. 

During  1908  it  was  devastating  forests  in  and  around  Fryeburg, 
Me.  At  that  time  it  almost  entirely  stripped  maple  and  it  was  said — 
oak.  beech,  birch,  apple,  ami  other  deciduous  trees  over  a  very  large 

ih-n.  Inn  it  poems  probable  that  other  Bpecieswere  present, as  in 
other  cases  reported  to  this  office."  It  was  particularly  troublesome 
to  shade  maples  in  Maine.  New  Hampshire,  and  Pennsylvania, 

N  \  II    i;  \l      ENEMIES. 

The  green  striped  maple  worm  i-  frequently  eaten  by  domestic 
foul-  and  by  many  birds.  Of  these  the  robin  and  yellow- billed 
caukoo  have  been  recorded  by  Bruner.6  lie  reports  both  of  these 
bird-  as  actively  engaged  in  picking  tip  and  swallowing  the.  ••worms" 
as  late  a-  September  20,  at  Lincoln.  Nebr.  The  bluebird,  tufted  tit- 
mouse, red  headed  woodpecker,  red-eyed  vireo.  and  crow  blackbird 
are    also   Btated   by    the    late    Prof.    F.   II.  Snow    to   eat    the  "  woriib." 

while  the  moths  also  are  sometimes  destroyed  by  birds.     To  the  above 

li-t  Prof.  F.  E.  L.  Heal,  of  the  Bureau  of  Biological  Survey,  add-  the 
black-billed  cuckoo  and  the  great-crested  flycatcher  as  enemies  of  this 
insect. 

This  species  is  parasitized  by  a  common  ichneumon  fly,  Limnerium 
fugitivum  Say.  a  rather  general  parasite  of  lepidopterous  larvae.  Two 
tachina  flies  have  been  reared  from  it,  Frontina  frenchii  Will.,  from 
Washington,  P.  ('..  and  vicinity,  and  Belvotia  hifasdata  Fal>..  from 
northern  Missouri  Among  the  old  Riley  notes  i-  a  record  of  the 
rearing  of  an  egg  parasite,  but  the  species  ha-  not  been  determined. 

At  one  time  the  electric  lights  in  BOme  of  the  large  cities  men- 
tioned were  tin-  means  of  attracting  and  destroying  large  numbers  of 
the  moth-,  and  l.oth  moths  and  caterpillars  were  destroyed  in  large 
numbers  by  passers  by,  who  trampled  on  them. 

A.8 a  rule  little  is  to  he  expected  from  taehina  flies  a-  a  means  of 
controlling  insect  pests,  and  the  ichneumon  mentioned,  being  a  <_r«'n- 
eral  parasite,  is  not  an  efficient  destroyer  of  this  particular  species.     In 

■'The  other  species  concerned  in  damage  wire  Htterocampa  and 

//.  bilinenta  Pack.,  principally  to  forest  trers.  although  daring  the  year  they  inji 
maple  ftroves  and  attacked  ^uirar  maple  and  a  considerable  \  ariety  of  the  I 
in  New  England. 

vrence  Braner,  1890,  Bull,  u  Nebr.  Agr.  Exp.  Bta.,  pp.  " 

-   110] 


other  words,  we  can  not  rel^  for  assistance  upon  any  of  the  natural  ene 
inics  excepl  birds.  These  should  !><•  encouraged  in  ei  erj  possible  way, 
ami  warfare  should  be  waged  against  the  English  sparrow,  which  does 
not  feed  on  this  caterpillar,  save  perhaps  occasionally  in  nesting  time, 
and  is  :i  great  pest  in  itself,  especially  as  it  drives  other  and  useful 
birds  from  cities  and  towns. 

Bl  MKDIES. 

Irtenical*.  Spraying  with  an  arsenical  mixture,  if  accomplished 
when  the  caterpillars  are  young,  is  the  most  effective  means  of  con- 
trolling this  insect,  i>m  a  spraying  is  n<>t  easilj  applied  when  :i  lai 
grove  of  maples  is  infested.  Blither  Paris  green  or  arsenate  of  lead 
may  be  used  and  applied  in  accordance  with  the  directions  furnished 
for  other  Bhade-tree  defoliators,  as  described  in  detail  in  Farmers' 
Bulletin  No.  99.  This  publication  should  be  in  the  hands  of  all  per- 
sons suffering  from  the  ravages  of  shade-tree  insects,  and  that  portion 
relating  to  general  instructions  in  the  last  chapter  should  be  read." 
Paris  green  may  be  applied  on  maple  trees  a-  Btrong  as  I  pound  to 
gallons  of  water,  but  halt"  that  strength,  or  one-half  pound  to  50  gallons 
of  water,  will  probably  Buffice  iii  most  cases.     Arsenate  of  lead  may 

he  safely  used  at  BS  high  a  rate  a-  from  2  to  4  pounds  of  the  poison  to 
j  dlons  of  water. 

Trenching.  If  an  arsenical  spray  ha-  not  been  used  while  the  Larvae 
are  young,  large  numbers  of  the  pests  may  he  trapped  and  easily 
destroyed  by  digging  a  trench  either  around  individual  trees  or  around 

groves  Or    belts  Of   tree-.       The  trench   should    lie    at    Least   a   foot    dee]). 

with  the  outer  wall-  sloping  under.      The  larva-  usually  wander  away 

from  the  trees  before  entering  the  earth,  and  will  lie  caught  in  the 
trench  in  great  numbers  or  will  bury  themselves  in  the  ground  in  the 

bottom  of  the  trench,  when1  they  can  lie  lulled.  This  remedy  wa- 
given  a  practical  and  thoroughly  satisfactory  test  many  years  ago 
by  Doctor  Riley,  and  has  been  recommended  to  our  correspondents 
generally. 

II, rmi  picking. — When  the  public  once  become-  well  acquainted 
with  thi-i  insect  in  all  of  it-  stages,  from  tin1  egg  to  the  moth,  large 
number-  of  the  eggs  and  the  moth-  can  Ik1  killed  by  band  on  their 
appearance  in  May  or  dune,  and  individual  choice  tree-  may  in  a 
measure  be  protected  in  this  manner. 

Approved: 

.1  \mi  -   We  BON, 

S    retary  of  Agt  icultun  . 

Washington,  1>.  C,  May  :>:.  ' 

Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  99  is  furnished  gratia  <>n  application  t"  the  Department  of 
Agriculture. 

[Cir.  no 

o 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3  1262  09216  5587 


